The Great Harlot Of Rev 17-18 Is Jerusalem, & What That Means.

The Great Harlot of Rev 17-18 is Jerusalem, & what that means.

by Jason Hommel

author of goldismoney.com and bibleprophesy.org

It’s very important to know who the Great Harlot is if we are to obey the command in Rev 18:4, "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."

There are many different views on the identity of the harlot. So, who is she?

The literal city of Babylon?

The UN?

USA?

New York City?

Rome?

The Catholic Church, in Rome?

The apostate Church?

False religion in general?

All world religion?

International bankers and/or money lenders?

The literal city of Jerusalem?

I believe the best answer is a combination of the last two views, that of the international bankers and Jerusalem. The harlot is Jerusalem, not the literal city, but the people who represent the rulers of the city, the Pharisees, religious leaders, moneychangers, and modern day equivalents who rule the kings of the earth, as we will see.

There are already a great number of interpreters who have excellent, compelling, and irrefutable Biblical proofs that the harlot is Jerusalem, but unfortunately, they use the evidence to support the preterist view that Revelation was fulfilled in 70AD, and that there is no future fulfillment.

Others see from scripture that the harlot rules the kings of the earth. And from the study of money, they see that the international bankers rule the nations. Therefore, they conclude the harlot is the international bankers. Unfortunately, those who advocate this view have comparitively poor scriptural proofs, and they just match scripture with what is seen in the real world.

So, when considering these two views, the question becomes: "Does the Bible ever teach that Jerusalem, or that some people of Jerusalem, will rule the nations through moneylending?" YES! And that is the subject of my first proof below.

I believe the Bible irrefutably teaches the great harlot is Jerusalem. I will show the scriptural evidence, discuss the various implications of this view and what it means, and how this view actually incorporates many other views, because the other interpretations of the woman are really just daughter harlots of the great mother of harlots, Jerusalem.

Since very few people advocate this view, and since you may never have heard of it before, I will start by listing a few web sites that teach that the great harlot of Revelation 17-18 is Jerusalem, to show that this is not a "private interpretation" not by any means. Please note, the implications and conclusions these authors make regarding what it means that "Jerusalem is the harlot", are vastly different than mine, mainly because their overall eschatology concerning what will happen in the future (pretribulation rapture) is different.

http://members.aol.com/johnprh/whore2.html (excellent scriptural proofs, Dr. Scott Hahn)

http://www.catholic.com/library/Whore_of_Babylon.asp

http://www.kensmen.com/catholic/endtimes.html

--These Catholic authors see "Jerusalem is the harlot", but generally use the evidence to say that the whore is therefore not the Catholic Church.

http://www.preteristarchive.com/Preterism/preston-don_p_03.html

http://hellbusters.8m.com/prophecy/BabylonJerusalem.html

http://www.geocities.com/newearthcs/studies/BabylonJerusalem.html

http://www.souldevice.org/pret_babylon.html

http://www.ecclesia.org/truth/whore.html

--These all see "Jerusalem is the harlot", but denies the prophecy has a future fulfillment, saying Rev 17-18 were speaking of 70AD

http://www.apostolic.net/biblicalstudies/post/worldtrade.htm

http://www.lookup.org/mysterybabylon.htm

http://www.post-boks.dk/rev-list/msg00097.html

--These all see "Jerusalem is the harlot", but make no solid conclusion of what it means.

http://www.post-boks.dk/rev-list/msg00427.html

--A list of nine book authors who see "Jerusalem is the harlot".

http://www.mvpca.com/escha-12.htm

--This sees "Jerusalem is the harlot", and concludes we should resist the harlot.

http://www.gracepleasanton.com/Hard_Questions/rev/A%20Revelation%20TOC.htm

http://www.wiredweb.com/~shades1997/Babylon_the_Great_The_Secret_Meaning.html

http://askelm.com/prophecy/p000201.htm

----These all see "Jerusalem is the harlot", and see a future judgment of the harlot.

http://members.tripod.com/sheltonjack/id53.htm

http://theseventhtrumpet.org/iscarlet.html by Jeffrey Brackeen (large site)

http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/bb980313.htm

http://www.samliquidation.com/mystery_babylon.htm

http://www.nationmakers.com/chap8.htm by Robert Harris Brevig

http://www.roytaylorministries.com/am00037.htm

http://www.bethelcog.org/Bablon.htm

http://www.skrewdriver.net/mammon9.html

http://www.cyberclass.net/turmel/babyl12.htm

http://www.despatch.cth.com.au/Transcripts/Dart_nafta_gatt.html

--These all see the international bankers as Babylon, as I do, but they generally do not spend time showing that "Jerusalem is the harlot".

Unfortunately, many of the authors above come to odd conclusions that follow the interpretation of "Jerusalem is the harlot". Nevertheless, those other authors list many, many solid proofs that "Jerusalem is the harlot". I will briefly cover several of the best scriptural proofs, and then spend time discussing implications and conclusions.

Summary of proofs:

1. Jerusalem rules the nations through lending money.

2. Jerusalem kills the prophets and saints.

3. Jerusalem is the "great city" where Jesus was killed.

4. Jerusalem sits on 7 mountains.

5. Jerusalem is described as a whore in the Bible.

6. Jerusalem’s priests wore purple, red, precious stones, and gold.

7. Jerusalem drinks the cup of wrath.

8. Jerusalem’s lovers, the kings of the earth, turn on her to destroy her.

9. Jerusalem is called "Babylon" by Peter in 1 Peter 5:13

Proof #1.

Prophecy tells us who will rule many nations. It is a blessing of God to Israel, and it even describes how they will rule over the nations. They rule with money, and by lending money to them.